The Cyber Whale Warrior Speaks for the Dolphins

Thank you, Mr. Hollis Heartbreakingly awesome.

 http://t.co/iGQ

Senator Leland Yee Not Accepting Email Comments on Shark Fin Soup Ban

Senator Lee is dismissing emails sent to his Senate email address, and telling people who are trying to comment to call him. So here are the numbers for his three offices:

Call CA Sen Yee about opposing shark fin soup bill: 

Phone: (916) 651-4008 Sacramento Capitol 

Phone: (650) 340-8840 San Mateo Office

Phone: (415) 557-7857  San Francisco Office

Are we taxpayers in California paying for his THREE offices? Does a State Senator need three offices?

Don't Dine at Places That Serve Shark Fin Soup

Next time you go to a Chinese restaurant, look to see if shark fin soup is on the menu. If it is, get up and leave and tell the manager why you are leaving. Read this article to become more informed on this issue.

California Moves to Protect Sharks - Fong/Huffman Bill Would End Shark Fin Sales in CA - Press Relea

www.digitaljournal.com

DigitalJournal.com delivers news and information from thousands of Digital Journalists based in 175 countries around the world. Join Digital Journal to report news, upload photos, embed video and discuss the world around you.

Boycott Restaurants That Serve Shark Fin Soup - Take Action!

Go to awionline.org to find a list of restaurants near your area that serve shark fin soup. Tell your local restaurants to stop serving shark fin soup. Let them know that you will boycott them until they do. Call or email them. Better yet, go there and be seated, open the menu and then tell you are leaving because they have shark fin soup on the menu. Here is a sample letter/email:

Stop serving shark fin soup! In 2006, Dr. Shelley Clarke's analysis of shark fin markets in Hong Kong estimated that upwards of 73 MILLION sharks are being killed each year for the barbaric shark fin trade. By now, over 100 MILLION sharks are brutally killed every year.

  Sharks are captured live, their fins are brutally cut off and they are dumped back in the ocean to slowly die. This is cruel and inhumane! Sharks are vital to maintaining balance in our oceans, and the unsustainable trade in shark fins is driving many shark species to the brink of extinction.

  You are participating in the destruction of the ocean and the extinction of a valuable species. Please stop serving shark fin soup and remove this item from your menu.

Go to Yelp and write a review asking for a boycott. Here is what I write: 

No stars if I could... Boycott this place! It has shark fin soup on the menu. Over 100 million sharks are brutally killed every year for a crappy bowl of soup. Sharks are captured alive, their fins are cut off and they are dumped back in the ocean to die a slow death. Restaurants that serve shark fin soup suck...

 

The Last 50 Grey Wolves May Be Hunted if Orrin Hatch Has His Way

Defenders of Wildlife Campaign to Save America's Wolves:

http://dfnd.us/hO4m1Y

A campaign of Defenders of Wildlife to Save America's Wolves

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Thailand is the Center of Wildlife Smuggling

Man stopped at airport with three bags full of dozens of creatures, including endangered tortoises. Look at the list of wildlife in those bags! http://tinyurl.com/4ouj452

Redneck Morons with Guns Killing Endangered Whooping Cranes

Gunfire shatters effort to rebuild endangered whooping crane population - St. Petersburg Times  http://tinyurl.com/4p62rss

CHASSAHOWITZKA -- They have survived ferocious winter winds, power lines and even bobcats. Now, the endangered whooping cranes may be facing their biggest obstacle yet
.

If Only This Could Happen to Dog Killer/Torturer Michael Vick

http://tinyurl.com/4apo2cb

Buehrle is right on about dog killer Michael Vick

Right On, Mark Buehrle! Michael Vick DOES need to get hurt, and lots of people wish that same thing while he is playing. Bravo for standing up and speaking out for the dogs that Vick tortured and killed.

Proof of The Damage to Our Oceans By Overfishing

18-year study proves that overfishing damages coral reefs | News | Practical Fishkeeping

www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk

Although overfishing is usually deemed to be detrimental to coral reefs, an 18-year study of the coral reefs off Kenya has provided concrete evidence to illustrate this point.

Shark Fin Soup is Killing a Species

Shark fins trade - undercover

www.youtube.com

Every year, 1 million sharks are sucked out of the sea, killed and their fins processed in this Costa Rican factory for Chinese consumption. The clip is extracted from 'Crime Scene Wild' off Animal Planet Channel.

Japan - Stop The Slaughter of Dolphins!

The slaughter and capture of dolphins in Taiji must stop now! The Wakayama Prefecture says this is part of national pride and tradition? No, it is the shame of Taiji and all Japan to kill and capture these beautiful, intelligent, sentient beings. The "tradition" is based on greed - using cruel, barbaric and inhumane actions to slaughter gentle, sentient beings of the sea. The selling of dolphins for massive amounts of money will not last over the generations. The world is watching, with horror and repulsion, your slaughter of both dolphins and whales. 

 

Tourism? Show the tourists your bloody, barbaric slaughter in The Cove. Show them what is under those tarps! Beautiful statues and signs do not cover your shame! A huge tourist boycott will soon be the consequence of your shameful actions! Tourists in the US, in the UK, in Australia and other countries will not support these reprehensible actions against dolphins and whales with their tourist dollars. Selling dried dolphin meat with the skin still on in tourist shops is revolting.

Soon, all the dolphins will be killed and gone, and you will have no source of income. Tourism is your only solution - tourists seeing live dolphins playing in The Cove is your future livelihood. 

Japan's Taiji Brutal and Barbaric Dolphin Slaughter Exposed (Again)

Japanese dolphin killings exposed by hidden video a year after The Cove documentary

www.dailymail.co.uk

Officials in Japan had claimed that the mammals were destroyed humanely as a source of meat after the Oscar-winning documentary The Cove exposed the killings in 2009.

Death Sentence for Bison Looking For Food In Deep Snow - Wandered on Rancher's Land. Please Sign Petition!

Defenders of Wildlife: Email - URGENT: These Yellowstone Bison Face Imminent Slaughter

http://dfnd.us/eeCDM2

Dear Wildlife Supporter,All they wanted was some food. Now some of the last true, wild bison in America face slaughter simply for leaving Yellowstone National Park.These majestic animals – some of the only pure descendants of America's original bison herds – are leaving the Park for lower elevations

USDA Is So Anti-Wildlife

USDA announced a "Wolf Kill" with big media scare. Turns out the cow died of natural causes. USDA is so effed up, and so anti-wildlife...

Wolf Weekly Wrap-up

www.defendersblog.org

Where has Velogal gone? She is down in the Gulf, working as a Capture Specialist for the International Bird Rescue and Research Center. Hot, hard work and long days. There are so many, many hundreds, if not thousands, of oiled birds and sea creatures. It is really, really heartbreaking to see little pelican chicks leave their nests and go stand in oil. So many beautiful creatures covered with oil and dying a slow, horrible death

Stay tuned for news about a new way to buy and sell online. It will change the way you buy and sell forever!
http://www.youtube.com/eahoy1

Things are hotting-up! Lance said that the Tour of Flanders was effing hard, and that he found out the morning of the race that he was the oldest guy riding. Ouch! But, hey, watching on Versus, I saw him still on his bike when most of the peloton was walking up the Koppenburg, the climb from Hell...

And what about the Saxo Bank wrenches? Gave Breschel the wrong bike, after he waited forever for the change. He ended up riding O'Grady's bike! Was he pissed or what....

The 21 newly-born harbor seal pups need immediate help from everyone, everywhere! Anti-seal activists have appealed to The California Coastal Commission to remove the rope that protects the mothers nursing their babies from the public. Harbor seals are shy and easily frightened. Unfortunately, they will flee and abandon their babies if frightened by humans or dogs. The babies are fragile and will die without nursing their mothers for several weeks. The harbor seals have been coming to this beach for hundreds of years to have their babies. There are so many beaches in the San Diego area, why can't humans just have compassion and tolerance for these vulnerable animals and go to a different beach? How difficult is that for them to do?  Please write, no matter where you live.
Sample letter:

To: ssarb@coastal.ca.gov,
dlee@coastal.ca.gov,
dlilly@coastal.ca.gov

Subject: Appeal No. A-6-LJS-10-09, Rope Barrier Appeal Hearing on March 10, 2010

To: California Coastal Commissioners,
I am writing in support of maintaining the rope barrier at Casa Beach that allows the La Jolla Seals to be undisturbed and separated from the public. By maintaining the rope barrier, the seals are protected, the public is at a safe distance, and residents/tourists/children can enjoy observing these amazing seals in a natural habitat.
The pups are fragile and the mothers are easily frightened. These innocent harbor seals deserve our protection at Casa Beach, just as they are protected in other rookeries along the coastline. The publ;ic does not unduly suffer by being separated from the beach rookeries in Pacific Grove, or along the 17-Mile Drive, or near Hopkins Marine Lab, and these are also high use areas. Harbor seal rookeries are protected at Pt. Reyes, another public high-use area.
Please support the staff's recommendation that the rope barrier stay up during pupping season and that no persons should step over the rope barrier during pupping season. Furthermore, I support that the rope barrier should be maintained all year long.
Thank you for making a decision that will affect the survival of a precious species for all our future.

OMG! The French LNDD cesspool continues to stink with the arrest warrant for Floyd Landis. How ludicrous is this charge? Goal: To harass Floyd and keep him out of races in France. Chatanay-Malabry is a sewer pit of lies...

Help Haiti - Text 90999 with the message "Haiti" from your cell phone $10 will be donated on your cell bill to The American Red Cross. You will receive a confirmation text in a few seconds. This is a legitimate donation

Yesss! Fantastic line-up for Team Radio Shack for  2010! I am delighted to see Chechu in the line-up. He is a first-class rider and first-class person. Here is the roster as published on cyclingnews.com:

2010 Team RadioShack Roster 

• Lance Armstrong (USA)
• Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn)
• Sam Bewley (NZl)
• Jani Brajkovic (Slo)
• Matthew Busche (USA)
• Ben Hermans (Bel)
• Chris Horner (USA)
• Daryl Impey (RSA)
• Markel Irizar (Spa)
• Andreas Klöden (Ger)
• Levi Leipheimer (USA)
• Geoffroy Lequatre (Fra)
• Fuyu Li (Chn)
• Tiago Machado (Por)
• Jason McCartney (USA)
• Dmitriy Muravyev (Kaz)
• Sérgio Paulinho (Por)
• Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr)
• Gregory Rast (Swi)
• Sébastien Rosseler (Bel)
• Ivan Rovny (Rus)
• José Luis Rubiera (Spa)
• Bjorn Selander (USA)
• Gert Steegmans (Bel)
• Tomas Vaitkus (Ltu)
• Haimar Zubeldia (Spa)

Management

• Johan Bruyneel (Bel) - Sports manager
• Dirk Demol (Bel) - Sports director
• Alain Gallopin (Fra) - Sports director
• Viatcheslav Ekimov (Rus) - Sports director
• José Azevedo (Por) - Sports director

And: Shut-up Astana management, you are being so foolish...

Please help our troops bring home their best buddies from Iraq and Afghanistan. The bond between a soldier and a stray, starving animal that they have adopted is often what gets them thru the horrors they experience. Everyone can spare $10 - please give something today.
http://tinyurl.com/yk5vcd2

Read the heartwarming story of one dog who came home: Saving Cinnamon
http://tinyurl.com/y9wkboj

Don't seem to have much to say about the cycling world this year. However, I did do a little bit of Twitter www.twitter.com/velogal. Not very regularly, I must admit. Part of me thinks, "Is there really anything new to say about cycling?" Yeah, I know....

But, if you're bored with cycling, or even if you're not, you could read about my new passion here: http://sammaryelewisphoto.blogspot.com/

That totally sucks about DZ's house getting looted. How in the Hell did nobody notice? Or maybe his house is isolated. And even stealing his cars, too? Hope they catch those bastards, lock them up and throw the key away. If you're on Facebook - join the group to keep watch for his stuff.

ATOC Stage 5 - Sweet lead out by Renshaw for Cavendish.Yeah, Cavendish is really good, so he gets labelled as "cocky" and "arrogant". Sound familiar?

Note to Versus: Bag that moronic gal who pesters the team guys with her not funny, not clever interviews. Her segment today with Mavic was pathetic and idiotic. I know darn well what the team guys say after she and the cameras leave.

ATOC Stage 2 - It was just awesome to see Levi take off on the Bonney Doon climb, in the pouring rain. No Fear...

ATOC Stage 1 start in Davis is at noon, and the weather forecast is ugly for the Sacramento Valley. From www.wunderground.com:
... Wind Advisory is now in effect until 4 PM PST this afternoon for the central and southern Sacramento Valley... Delta... northern San Joaquin Valley and Motherlode. A strong Pacific frontal system moving through northern California has brought strong southerly winds to the region. Southerly winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 50 mph will be possible today as the cold front moves slowly eastward across the area. Winds are expected to decrease by late this afternoon... but may increaseagain later tonight. Motorists (...and cyclists?)are advised to exercise caution and allow extra time toreach your destination.

ATOC Prologue - Bobke is all cleaned up - no mutton chops for his interviews. Lance is looking lean, wearing his Mellow Johhny's hat. Phil called Chechu "an aging veteran". Chechu is a year younger than Lance... Rain is holding off, but the wind is ugly.

Wow - Never thought I'd see the day when I would write this, but the ATOC is going to have to take second place to other obligations and things that pay the rent.  Maybe I can sneak downtown on Tuesday - not sure.  

OMG! Can you believe it? Now that pro cycling season is back, that zany Podium Girl Gone Bad has been sighted on both Facebook and Twitter! Rumor has it that she has been seen being naughty behind the podium at the Tour Down Under! If you are on Facebook, better search for her page...It is under Other Public Figures, of course...

The cycling community and the cancer survivor's community, are mourning the death of Jim Owens. He has become an inspiration and a symbol of courage. Altho I did not know him, I am sorry to hear of his passing, and I wish him peace on his greatest ride. Follow the Link to learn more about this courageous man and his 2004 Tour of Hope Ride...

My good friend, Andy Anderson, posted this on the caringbridge http://tinyurl.com/cxwyw guestbook:

Farewell Brother Jim !
We will not stand at your grave and weep;
You are not there. You do not sleep.
You live in the thousand winds that blow,
Tailwinds that help the cyclists go
Uphill and down, with cries of ‘No Chain!’
The toughest of rides, without any pain.
You’re riding round Heaven with Martha and Scott
And Lori and Damon – the C.C.C. lot!
You circle the clouds, and you never feel pain,
For the bikes that you ride, use wings, not a chain!
You live in the sunlight on ripened grain.
You live in the gentle autumn rain.
You live in the ‘whooooooooooosh’ of tyres on tar
As a peloton passes, a colourful blur,
So, we will not stand at your grave and cry;
You are not there. You did not die.
You live in our hearts, and for you we give thanks,
‘Tis we who are the blessed, for you rode in our ranks,
No matter at all we don’t share a mother
For ours is the honour to call you - our brother !
Farewell, Brother Jim, you’ve shown us the way to truly LiveSTRONG. You’ve been a shining example of courage and grace in adversity, of good humour in the hours of darkness; an example we can but feebly try to emulate if that be our lot, though I doubt we could achieve the high standard you have set.
You may have gone from our sight, but you will live long in our hearts – it was not for nothing that we love you – our friend and our brother.
Andy
[Based on ‘Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep’]
CCC

Please go to spca.com or baghdadpups.com and make a donation to help bring home the dogs that our soldiers have rescued in Iraq or Afghanistan. These dogs and cats have become loving buddies to our soldiers, and we cannot leave them behind. The lives of dogs and cats are meaningless in those countries, and most of the soldier's animals have been rescued from a cruel death. Please help!

So Lance is gonna be a daddy again?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081224/ts_alt_afp/cyclingusaarmstrongbaby

You can also find Velogal on Twitter, and Twitpic, too. Follow the link...

Well, well, our old friend, Podium Girl Gone Bad is now on Twitter. Guess she just can't keep her nose (a-hem) out of the 2009 Tour.

Oh Jeeze, not the Armstrong-Andreu thing again.  Let's put it to rest, Betsy...  None of us care anymore....

Heads-up, y'all. Lance says he may do the Rocky Hills Round Up MTB on Sunday. He pre-rode the course today.